


Another Attempt at Exposition Averted

by Pearl_Pilots_In_Chains



Series: Of Tears and Ash [24]
Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Genre: Banter, Gen, Ridiculous dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25798771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl_Pilots_In_Chains/pseuds/Pearl_Pilots_In_Chains
Summary: Once again, Iphicles attempts to tell Orestes his story, and Orestes tries to avoid hearing his friend out.
Series: Of Tears and Ash [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1050806
Kudos: 8





	Another Attempt at Exposition Averted

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one of my HTLJ fics from 2018 (set in my "Of Tears and Ash" AU) that I never posted, but decided I might as well, considering the time I put into them. Once again, since I'm no longer really in the fandom, I'm backdating this to when I wrote it, so no one thinks I'm suddenly back into HTLJ.

“Ah, Orestes, you know, I’m rather curious.Now that it is the evening, and we are no longer in any significant danger of being interrupted partway through the narrative, would you be amenable to hearing out my story in its entirety?”

The light from the nearby campfire glinted off of Orestes’s hair as he narrowed his eyes slightly at Iphicles, seated across the wagon from him.Orestes reached up and stroked his chin for a moment, ostensibly considering the proposition.In reality, he was attempting to construct something which might pass as a reasonable excuse.This proved to be a rather difficult endeavor.Eventually, he resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to avoid hearing Iphicles out a second time.Slowly, he nodded his consent to Iphicles’s request.“Very well, I suppose my earlier reservations are no longer pertinent, and thus I have no reason not to hear you out, my friend,” Orestes said, keeping his voice neutral and ambiguous.He was fairly sure that Iphicles knew he wasn’t all that pleased, but he wasn’t about to let that sentiment shine through visibly.Within the confines of their ongoing game, they each consistently strived to keep their opponent on his toes at all times.Hiding emotions, even if they were predictable enough, was part of that effort.

“Fantastic, fantastic my friend, I am so glad to hear it,” Iphicles remarked, positively beaming at what he no doubt viewed as a victory of sorts.Orestes had to concede, it seemed that this battle might go to Iphicles.The war on the other hand was another matter entirely.The victor in it remained to be seen.

Orestes observed dryly, “I’m sure you are.”

Iphicles looked as though he was struggling not to grin too arrogantly.It was at this moment that Orestes had an epiphany.An idea came to his mind.He realized that there was a condition that he could apply to Iphicles’s storytelling which might impede it, and prevent him from managing to relate the entirety of his story to Orestes.This in turn would obstruct Iphicles from very likely imploring Orestes to help him out of the situation in which the story left, by revealing the details of his fictional story involving Selucreh and Knee-swollaus, the objective which Iphicles was pursuing in this round of their game.

“Well now, I suppose I better get started,” Iphicles began, following it with a deep breath.

Before Iphicles could continue, Orestes interjected, “Wait a moment my friend.”

Iphicles looked over at Orestes skeptically.“What is it, good Orestes?”

“I would like to apply a certain condition to your narration,” Orestes answered in faux cordiality.

“And what would that happen to be?”Iphicles inquired with a grimace.Orestes couldn’t help but be a good bit entertained by the fact that he had succeeded in annoying his companion.

“You only have until Kadmos returns from his evening patrol to tell your story.If you are still in the midst of telling it to me when he arrives, you must cease immediately, and resume it back from the beginning at a later date.That is the only way I will agree to hear out your tale,” Orestes explained, smirking all the while.

“Really now?Earlier today, you made a whole case as to how you would only listen to my tale when you could hear the entirety of it all at once, but now you lay out a condition that would involve you hearing it at multiple times?”Iphicles shot back, looking somewhat disgruntled.

“Not exactly,” Orestes noted.“Keep in mind, under the terms of my stipulation, you would restart it from the beginning the next time you told it.That way, whenever I eventually was able to hear the entirety of it, I would hear it all concurrently.”

Iphicles glowered slightly, the look of comprehension in his eyes a bitter one.Orestes, on the other hand, was feeling quite confident in the fact that he had added another not insubstantial obstacle in his friend’s path toward winning this round of their game.

“So, what you say then?”Orestes asked, tilting his head slightly.“Will you agree to these terms?”

“I don’t exactly have much of a choice from what you said, do I?”Iphicles returned, cocking an eyebrow dangerously.

“No, I suppose you really don’t.Not if you want to tell me this story of yours anyway,” Orestes confirmed.“Then again, you could always forego this particular tale and go back to the drawing board.Then again, in the long run, that might only end up creating more work for you.Really, it’s a lose-lose situation for you, and a win-win situation for me.I’m rather fond of it, actually.”

“You don’t say,” Iphicles deadpanned, partially lidding his eyes to the point where he looked both irritated and half-asleep.All things considered, it was a strange image, and Orestes felt slightly compelled to laugh, but he resisted this temptation without any substantial difficult.“Well then, considering the choice isn’t really in my hands, and I don’t want to head back to the start, I guess I’ll agree to your conditions.”

“Excellent, my friend,” Orestes responded, nodding and throwing on one of his best fake smiles.“I knew you’d see things my way sooner or later.”

Iphicles said nothing to this, simply leering in Orestes’s direction in mildly ominous matter.Still, Iphicles knew his companion well enough to know that this anger was not genuine wrath, but rather all-purpose frustration and annoyance intermingled.Orestes wasn’t worried.It seemed as though he was the one directing this round once again.“Well now,” Orestes announced, “I’ll let you get started.”

“Oh, thank you so very much,” Iphicles responded in a tone that was saturated with a fair dose of sarcasm.

“You’re most welcome, of course,” Orestes stated.

Iphicles took a deep breath once more, and began to speak.“Now, as you may not be surprised to learn, my tale begins in a bar.I was out drinking for the evening with a pair of questionable companions, none other than the Selucreh and Knee-swollaus of possibly ignoble notoriety, whom we have both had the ill fate to encounter—”

Without warning, Orestes raised a hand, cutting his friend off.He nodded his head to the side.“I hate to interrupt, but I think the sand grains just ran out.”

Iphicles looked over in the direction in which Orestes had gestured.He looked back with a firm scowl on his face, meaning that he had definitely noticed Kadmos approaching.“Perhaps tomorrow at some point,” Iphicles offered, sounding thoroughly indifferent.

Orestes raised an eyebrow, and looked as though he had a good amount of things he wanted to say, but Kadmos was nearing too quickly to do so.

Iphicles merely grinned at his companion, knowing very well that he had emerged the winner.For now at least.


End file.
